Archive for September, 2010
Boney M. – Gotta Go Home (Platurn BS Edit)
Sep 29th
Quick edit of the Duck Sauce ‘Barbra Streisand’ sample. Song is a bit hokey but it’s fun nonetheless – just looped up the relevant parts and let the rest play. Small master as well – enjoy!
Boney M. – Gotta Go Home (Platurn BS Edit) by platurn
Grab it, for free, here.
The video, in case you live under a ginormous rock and haven’t seen it…
Hydrilla Grand Opening | Rob Swift @ Som | House Shoes in Oakland
Sep 22nd
3 dope gigs this weekend – hope to see you guys there…
Saturday Evening | SF | 09/25/2010
FB Event Page
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Saturday Night | SF | 09/25/2010
Fusicology Event Page
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Sunday Day | Oakland | 09/26/2010
FB Event Page
Rare Marvin Gaye (Sr. & Jr.) interview from 1977
Sep 15th
This is bittersweet to say the least.
“When the tour ended, he isolated himself by moving into his parents’ house. He threatened to commit suicide several times after bitter arguments with his father. On April 1, 1984, Gaye’s father fatally shot him after an argument that started after his parents squabbled over misplaced business documents. Gaye attempted to intervene, and was killed by his father using a gun that Marvin Jr. had given him four months before. Marvin Gaye would have turned 45 the next day. Marvin Sr. was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Charges of first-degree murder were dropped after it was revealed that Marvin Sr. had been beaten by Gaye before the killing. Doctors discovered Marvin Sr. had a brain tumor but was deemed fit for trial. Spending his final years in a retirement home, he died of pneumonia in 1998.”
Via Wikipedia.
A homage.
Sep 15th
There’s a reason why I started this party.
I’m not the best DJ nor am I an avid collector. I’ve got some gems but i’ve always been a budget digger so to me it’s more about putting what I have to good and interesting use. The reason why I did start this party was the challenge (both breaking out the dusties and trying to get people to care about it). Spinning 45s is the most difficult format of music to play as a DJ when constricted to two turntables and a mixer. They are sensitive, flimsy, light and if you know what cue-burn is on a record…well, forget about it.
45s are also the most limited format that music is released in that is still being made today (take away 78s and cassingles and whatnot). That’s what makes it so much fun as a DJ – you have to be truly creative and really know what the fuck you are doing to spin these things. And when I say spin, I mean cut ‘em up, mix ‘em and do the overall DJ damn thing. Most of the music released on 7 inch is also not DJ friendly, as in syncopated percussion at the beginning or ending of the track making it possible to mix in and out of the song. Again, you gotta know what you’re doing.
With that being said, all hail the 45. It’s making a big ‘ol comeback too but that’s certainly not the reason my co-horts and I play them – we’ve been doing it all along. But it’s nice to see people really appreciate them and the music within. And that’s why we do it all along, don’t we?
By the way, this saturday and the 1-year anniversary, it’s going down…
DJ Q-Bert wins “America’s Best DJ” 2010
Sep 10th
http://americasbestdj.net/bestdj/2010.htm
Some thoughts…
First of all, CONGRATUFUCKINGLATIONS Q!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So there’s gonna be a buncha controversy and people talking this and that. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that as a DJ, coming from the culture that I do, this is on par with Obama becoming president.
Let me explain.
What this says to me is that people (DJs & DJ fans) were fed up, plain and simple. Yes, this competition might be a trivial popularity contest and lack in credibility, but it is voter based. It is also currently the most popular DJ contest out there, replacing the DMC or any other mix contest held throughout the world. Yes, Pauly D was on the list along with a bunch of questionable jokers and a lot of “turntablists” or credible DJs in the Hip-Hop community didn’t make the list & never have, possibly never will.
That’s not the point.
The point is that it happened and that says something. Same way that when Obama was voted into office, despite what you think of him now (that’s an entirely different conversation altogether), it truly meant something because what he stood for was change, something better in the world and a demand for a certain level of intelligence coming back into play. Yes, I know it might not be that deep and how could I be comparing a DJ competition to the US presidency, but for a dude like me who has watched the art form I love more than anything turn into a circus in the decade and a half since I got into it, it means everything.
Side note: I know that the homie Z-Trip won last year and that was a massive milestone, but Q is the only dude on the planet that gets hired to strictly scratch during his performances. Literally only scratch, and he’s the only one!
Think about that.
I only hope that what this does is inspire DJs to go back to fucking it up a bit. Scratching, doubles and all around skills have become a minimal priority in the DJ game, replaced with a lazy approach towards the art.
Once again congratulations DJ Q-Bert! You continue to inspire – thank you for sticking to it.
